The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

A Moscow court has handed down the first – and stiff – sentence against a participant in the Bolotnaya Square demonstration against the third presidential term of Vladimir Putin. Maxim Luzyanin, the only one of the people remanded in custody over the demonstration, who fully accepted guilt, was sentenced to 4 and a half years in a prison colony. He was found guilty under the articles on participation in mass riots and use of force against a representative of the authorities. The Prosecutor had asked for 6.5 years.

At the same time, the same court held a hearing in the case of Mikhail Kosenko to decide whether he is to undergo compuslosy psychiatric treatment. He was found mentally unfit on August. Independent experts consider the expert assessments to be contradictory and biased. The next hearing is scheduled for the end of Novermber.

There are 17 other people under the Bolotnaya Square case who will probably be tried together.